2020/2021 Membership Renewal

2020-2021 Membership Renewal with Voluntary Commitment

Shir Hadash is committed to excellence - in programming, education, staffing, and service. Excellence includes meeting our budget. Shir Hadash exists because members recognize and fulfill their responsibility toward its preservation. When you become a part of Shir Hadash, your commitment of financial support helps assure the ongoing vitality of our community.

THANK YOU---THANK YOU---THANK YOU

And congratulations on making our voluntary commitment model a huge success. Last year we initiated a voluntary commitment model to replace our old, outmoded dues model. Shir Hadash believes our members are our most important asset. We believe that you should decide what you can afford to pay to be a member of the Shir Hadash community. Your membership, and this community, is most important to us.

And how you responded! Your contributions last year exceeded our proposed budget for dues by more than $34,000 and we gained more than 30 new member families (a net gain of more than 18 for the year). 49% of our current member families increased the amount they paid in the previous year by more than 10%. What a great accomplishment! We knew that our members would “step up” and you did. That $34,000 of revenue plus some other one-time grants significantly reduced the deficit that was budgeted for last year. The important point here is that EVERYONE gave according to their means, at a level of comfort and ability that avoided those uncomfortable financial consideration conversations.

But the world today is a different one than that of a year ago. Shir Hadash has responded to that change with virtual Shabbat services, Religious School, Adult educational opportunities, Second Seder, concerts etc. to bring you both a spiritual and human connection during these times of isolation.

Now is the time to review your voluntary commitment. The proposed budget has been sent to each of you and was passed at the Annual Meeting. Based on our increased number of members, the break even (the total expenses divided by the total number of adult members) has, to our favor, dropped from $2,028 per adult to $1,510 per adult. This break even is the total of the voluntary commitment and other contributions, such as the High Holidays appeal, made to the synagogue. It does not include religious school tuition/fees or the Building Fund, which is becoming increasingly important in our 45-old building.

Remember, the more members we have, the lower the amount we need per member to get to break even. So the best thing members can do this year is to spread the word to help us grow again. And to monetarily contribute as much as their head and heart tells them is right, even in this difficult time, but especially, even more so now!

As we know, this year is different. We do not know what the effects of the pandemic may have on your financial resources, or on ours. We do know that it will affect our High Holiday income. The budget our members passed still projects a deficit, but that deficit will evaporate if, on average, we brought in $1,510 per adult member ($3,020 for a 2 adult household). Some can contribute at a higher level and we really need their help. If you can contribute at least 10% more than you did last year, that will significantly help us as during these uncertain times when others members are struggling.

We need you now to think about all the benefits of being a member of Shir Hadash, to once again evaluate your family’s financial situation, and to make a voluntary contribution with which you are comfortable. As you know we want you as our member, we want you to decide what you can afford to be a member, and remember that no one will ever second guess your commitment amount.

Last year we did great things together. Let the coming year be even greater.

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